The Forth Road Bridge is one of the UK’s most celebrated pieces of infrastructure.

Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and for nearly thirty years after it was opened on 4 March 1890 by the future Edward VII, it was the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world.

Even today, only the Quebec Bridge in Canada is longer.

Patrick Graham, investor with Business Growth Fund

Almost two years ago it was deservedly awarded the status of an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Forth Bridge is an iconic and immediately recognisable expression of Scottish confidence and an identity that has been in part forged through ambitious, forward-thinking infrastructure.

Thankfully we are not about to let that ambition gather dust.

Here in Scotland recently, the penultimate section on the Queensferry crossing, a new landmark bridge over the Forth was carefully hoisted into place, joining Fife to the south shores for the first time.

There is now more than 2km of deck in place and only a 50 metre gap remains.

At a cost of £1.35billion it is one of Scotland’s biggest construction projects in many years.

Philip Hammond has also made a tentative commitment.

He has ruled out a ‘splurge’ but signalled investment in ‘productivity-enhancing infrastructure’, and the Heathrow Airport announcement hopefully shows a country getting serious about infrastructure.

Nationally, Britain needs significant investment in its infrastructure to maintain and grow its stature in a post-Brexit world.

The Autumn Statement on November 24 is the perfect opportunity to make this happen.

Investment like this can be transformative, and not just once projects are built.

During construction, infrastructure projects provide a huge boost to service suppliers who are contracted to help with construction and delivery.

Often, the temptation can be to choose big international names for these jobs, helping a few select companies cement their position at the top.

Instead, we need confidence in ourselves and in our businesses.

There are scores of small and mid-sized British firms with the potential to deliver the services that these projects need, from highly technical manufacturing through to big construction.

These companies deserve to win contracts from the government and should be given confidence in their ability to scale up and deliver them.

This can transform not just businesses but their local communities.

At BGF, we have recently reached £1bn of investment in British business, something achieved after only five years of operation.

We have invested £126m of this in Scotland because we know that the region is rich in high-potential companies.

I have seen how high-potential companies have grown thanks to government contracts.

These projects help companies invest in new talent and technology, enabling them to have a significant, positive impact on their local economy and community.

This creates a virtuous cycle. Companies are able to ‘scale up’, meaning that they can service ever larger and more complex contracts from both the private and public sector.

What’s more, they are given kudos and respect for working on renowned local government projects, which helps to grow a company’s reputation and attract more business.

Of course, small and medium sized businesses need support, which is why confidence is so important.

These companies do not have the back-office functions of larger corporations, they need support in how to bid for, service and price a large contract – but believing in them does pay off.

If we are serious about Scotland and Britain’s role in the world outside the EU then we need to support our infrastructure and, even more importantly, we need to back our small and medium sized businesses to deliver it.